The proposal from Rehberg, the main Republican challenger to
Tester, would not only ban any future donations or spending by
out-of-state groups and individuals, but also require himself and
Tester to return out-of-state donations they've already received
for the campaign.

"My Made in Montana pledge truly makes this a campaign by and
about Montanans, and will guarantee an election free from
out-of-state money and outside influences," Rehberg wrote.

If accepted, the proposal likely would force both men to drain
or nearly drain their entire campaign accounts and start anew, with
donations only from Montana residents.

Rehberg's proposal came two days after Tester, a Democrat, asked
Rehberg to join him in discouraging outside groups from buying TV
and radio ads to influence the race, by having the candidates pay a
penalty if a group ran an ad benefiting them.

Rehberg included this aspect in his plan as well Friday, but
made it broader, applying it to any spending and for the entire
race. Tester's proposal would cancel the agreement and the
penalties after the first violation.

Third-party groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which
began running ads Thursday attacking Tester, have already spent
hundreds of thousands of dollars on each side, trying to influence
the race.

Tester campaign manager Preston Elliott said Tester is reviewing
Rehberg's proposal, but said Rehberg's letter "reads like the
attack ads we're trying to keep out of this race."

"The bottom line is that he rejected Jon's simple proposal to
give Montanans the transparency and accountability they deserve,"
Elliott said.

***

Rehberg's letter to Tester said his opponent
has a "track record of hypocrisy" and suggested Tester's initial
proposal was a "self-serving political ploy."

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Under Rehberg's proposal, Tester and Rehberg would be restricted
to spending only their own, respective campaign funds on the race -
and could raise money only from individual Montanans.

As of Dec. 31, Tester had $3.85 million in his campaign fund and
Rehberg had $2.1 million.

However, Rehberg's plan also would require each candidate to
return any money donated by a political action committee,
out-of-state resident or lobbyist.

Through last year, Tester had taken in $1.7 million from PACs
and more than $2.2 million from out-of-state individuals - so he'd
have to return his entire campaign fund, under Rehberg's
proposal.

For the same period, Rehberg has taken in at least $554,000 from
PACs and $1 million from non-Montanans, so he'd have to return at
least three-fourths of his campaign fund under the proposal.

Rehberg's campaign manager, Erik Iverson, said Friday that
Rehberg isn't inclined to bargain on his proposal.

"It's very simple: Only Montana money should be spent on the
Montana Senate race," Iverson said. "There should be no outside
money or influence, period. ... It is disingenuous for anyone to
try and pick and choose which kind of outside money is bad, and
which is good.

"The only way to be fair in a campaign pledge like this is to do
away with all outside money ... and that's what this does," he
added.

Missoulian State Bureau reporter Mike Dennison can be reached at
1-800-525-4920 or at mike.dennison@lee.net.

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